Are you looking for a good stick to your ribs dinner for this unbelievable cold outside? This Crock Pot Beef Osso Buco can be waiting for you when you come home from work. The price is under $9.00 and can feed a family of 4 off of two large shanks. I purchased mine at Woodman's. I was looking at oxtails but for some reason they are crazy expensive right now. With the addition of polenta as a side, you have a delicious, filling meal.
Osso Buco
You need the stove for the first part, but I swear, the rest is easy peasy. Firstly, season and brown both sides of the beef in about 2 tablespoons of oil. You want a nice crust to form. Even brown the sides. Remove the beef to the crock pot. Add the mushrooms and onions and saute until golden. In the same pan, add one cup of red wine. I used Rex-Goliath Merlot. Use a wooden spoon to push up the brown bits from
the pan. Reduce for 5 minutes. The alcohol will cook out. Pour over the beef shanks. Add a pinch of Thyme, a teaspoon of minced garlic, a bay leaf, season again with salt and pepper. Add two tablespoons tomato paste and one can drained fire roasted tomatoes to the crock pot. Instead of adding more broth at this point, I added 2 beef bouillon cubes to keep the water content down.
You can add root veggies like turnips, potatoes, and carrots. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. The meat will be fall off the bone. Remove the sauce to a sauce pot on the stove. Add corn starch mixed in water to thicken. Serve over your favorite side. For the polenta I used a tube version that I mixed chicken stock with until it was grit consistency.
